Out of the Comfort Zone
by gorgeousbowneyes
Summary: Hermione has just suffered a hard break up and is on the rebound. But in this new relationship, will she get more than she bargined for? The future of the wizarding world restsin her hands. Written pre HBP.
1. Chapter 1

_Out of the Comfort Zone_

_As much as I love the characters, I cannot call them my own, EVER, because they all belong to the wonderful woman who created them, JK Rowling. This world was created by her and belongs to her in every way. The plot and story line was created by moi, though. _

Chapter one: Pudding

She was sitting on a big fluffy couch in front of the fireplace in the Gryffindor common room. It was late, very late, and no one was up. Except her of course. On her lap was a large portion of pudding, which she was slowly eating. _How could he do such a thing? I thought we were in love… And then he tells me he's not in love with me anymore? What did I do wrong? It must be me, I was too…too…too nothing! I was too involved in studying and he must have got bored. One thing's for sure though—I will not, most certainly, go beg. I'll be miserable by myself, but tomorrow, he'll see. I'm just as well without him._

_I hope…Oh, Merlin._

Just then she heard the creak of someone coming down the steps from the girls' dormitories. Whoever it was, she didn't want them to see her like this! She was in her old pajamas and had, somehow, stained her shirt with pudding. Her hair was like a bird's nest, utterly tangled that would take at least half an hour to brush out. She decided to hide, but it was too late, as a girl with flaming red hair emerged from the stairway, giving her a mingled look of worry and confusion.

"Hermione, what are you doing up so late? No wonder…I knew I'd heard someone walk by!" Ginny Weasley said to a very startled Hermione.

"You'd be a good prefect," she noted, hoping Ginny didn't notice her puffy, red eyes.

Ginny pursed her lips at Hermione's comment, and crossed her arms, "No, I'm just a good trouble maker. What are you doing down here?" she demanded.

"I…I…I just wanted to think about some things and I was cold in my room so I came down to sit by the fire."

"Oh, yes, pudding always makes me feel warm," Ginny replied dryly.

"Yes!" Hermione exclaimed. She didn't want to talk to Ginny right now, after what Ron, her brother, just did to her.

"I don't believe you. You know you can trust me, so what's happened? Why are you sulking down here? I thought you were staying out with Ron tonight, in the Room of Requirement, to talk?"

"We were…we did. He wanted to talk so…we did."

Ginny nodded patiently, "And did something happen?"

"He…he…" Hermione stuttered and then finally burst out crying. "He wanted to break up!"

"What? But…did he say why?"

Hermione didn't reply straight away, her throat clenched tightly as she heaved quiet sobs. Tears ran down her cheeks, cold and unforgiving, the pain welling up inside her. Finally when she calmed down enough to speak coherently, she mumbled, "He said he didn't love me any more…"

"But he told me just the other day that he was so happy with the woman he was with…I just presumed he meant you, but oh my! Maybe he meant something else! Oh 'Mione, you cry as much as you want! Ron's a prat for leaving you! I'll get Fred and George onto him for you if you want?" Hermione just kept crying, wondering if, perhaps, this was all a bad dream and Ron really hadn't broken up with her.

She doubted it.

Ginny noted that the pudding—aside from looking quite edible—was in danger of falling from Hermione's lap, so she took the plate into her hands and placed it on a table nearby, "And enough junk food. You're not the kind that would break down like this, 'Mione. You're strong, and you know better."

After a while of stony silence, Hermione reached over to the table and began eating the pudding again, slowly chewing it, trying to lose herself in its flavor. She stared blankly into the flames, not really seeing anything, her mind lost in other things. When Hermione finished eating, Ginny was still there, wide awake by now, and ready to hear anything that her friend might want to say. For a while they just sat there, not quite knowing how to break the silence. Ginny, deciding that Hermione was upset and needed her to help her talk things through, finally sighed and decided to improvise.

"You didn't leave me any pudding," she said with a joking voice, but all sincerity in her eyes. Hermione laughed weakly, which, judging by the circumstances, was a vast improvement. Ginny, however, wouldn't give up, and fixed Hermione with a firm stare.

"Ron is a stupid git, Hermione, and obviously doesn't know how much he is going to miss you. But he'll put two and two together eventually and figure it out, and when he does, you are not going to take him back because he doesn't deserve it. He's my brother and I love him, but what he did is inexcusable. You, of all people, Hermione, are dignified, strong, and poised, and you won't ever let anyone push you around like that. There is nothing wrong with you, and Ron is a prat if he thinks otherwise. Don't let a stupid breakup get the better of you, because you…you are just as well without him."

Hermione shrugged quietly, smiling now, "Thanks, Gin. I still want to be friends with him, though…eventually. I won't beg, but I won't throw away our friendship because of this.

"That's good! That shows you are mature enough to deal with this. You show him, 'Mione."

"I will. He'll regret breaking up with me. I'll be cool, composed, and perfectly civil. He won't know what hit him."

"Yeah, that's the spirit! Now…it's three in the morning. Class tomorrow, you know."

This seemed to bring Hermione back, "Oh, Merlin, you're right! I have Potions first thing…bollocks, I can't go to class half asleep!"

Ginny smiled, "Let's go to bed, then."

As Hermione and Ginny ascended the steps to the girls' dormitories, Hermione realized that Ginny was more boy-wise than she was. _It must be because she started dating before I did. I mean she was interested in guys since she was in second year, and started going out with them in fifth year! I must have been a slow developer, since I only realized that I liked Ron at the end of sixth year, and started going out with him during the holidays before seventh year._

_No thinking about Ron, Hermione. You are perfectly cool and composed. You can do this. Screw Ron. If he thinks I'll go bawling to him in the morning…oh, the nerve, honestly! As if I'm the kind of person to do that. He'll see…_

Just then Ginny interrupted her thoughts to say that this was her dorm, and good night. Hermione kept going up the stairs to the next level, where her room was that she shared with four other seventh year girls. As she entered the circular room and went over to her four-poster bed, Lavender, who was a very light sleeper, awoke.

"Hermione, where have you been?" she asked groggily. When Hermione turned to face her, she suddenly realized that it was still obvious that she'd been crying. Lavender furrowed her brow for a moment, before crawling out of her four-poster bed to come and hug Hermione, even though they weren't very good friends. The thing of it was, she looked thoroughly depressed about something, and odds were, it was about Ron. What else would Hermione Granger cry about in the middle of the night?

Hermione pulled the golden drapes of her bed back, and got under the golden covers of her bed. Before she slept, she mused at whether the other houses had their colors as bed spreads. All of a sudden, she could just imagine Draco Malfoy, Harry's nemesis, asleep under jade green sheets with the same color hangings coming down from his bedposts. As she drifted off, she frowned at herself, wondering why he would come to mind, of all people.

But she knew no more as she submerged herself in her dreams.


	2. Chapter 2

Out of the Comfort Zone

_Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, they all belong to JK Rowling as well as the world she has created. I'm just using them for entertainment and do not gain any profit from this._

Chapter Two: Mistakes

Hermione woke with a start. She had been dreaming, but the details were washing away like running water. She knew that it had had something to do with Draco Malfoy, but what exactly she was no sure of. _Oh well,_ she thought,_ I'll just get ready for class, then go meet Harry and Ron – What am I thinking? _ She just remembered the horrible events of the night before, and what Ginny had said to her.

_Cool, composed, and perfectly civil. I can do this._

So, feeling slightly reassured, she got dressed and readied up for class—and to face Ron.

**The Previous Night**

_Harry was nearly asleep, when the dormitory door banged open, and Ron came over and threw himself on his bed dejectedly. _

"_What's the matter with you?" Harry asked quietly, as the other members of the dorm were still asleep, despite the racket Ron had just made. _

"_What have I done?" Ron asked himself hoarsely, apparently oblivious to Harry's presence, "I'm such a bloody prat! Why did I have to go and ruin it when I had something good going for once?"_

"_What are you on about, Ron? Relax, will you? Tell me what's wrong," Harry added, a hint of impatience in his voice. _

_A low murmur came from Ron's direction as he sank his head into a pillow. Harry cleared his throat, and Ron sighed, his shoulders slumping, "I…" he said, his voice still very low, as if he was afraid of saying it aloud, "I broke up with Hermione."_

_Harry stared at his friend, apparently at a loss for words. When he recovered, he said, very quietly, "And why in Merlin's name would you do that?" _

"_Because I'm a bloody prat. I think I already mentioned that."_

"_Ron," Harry said impatiently, "Don't be stupid. You don't break up with someone for no reason."_

"_I dunno…because when things stop being easy I just can't take it. Because things are just more complicated than they seem, Harry," Ron said quietly, "You may think everything between Hermione and me was fine, but…you don't know anything."_

"_Ron, did you have a fight with her?"_

_Ron sat up, giving Harry a weary look, "Listen, I don't want to talk about it. I made my mistake, and I'll decide what to do 'bout it. I already know I'm stupid, thanks."_

Harry sighed, "Come on, Ron…you should at least apologize. Maybe she'll take you back," he added.

"I doubt it," Ron sighed, slumping back on the bed and shutting the crimson curtains around him. He rolled around under his covers, thankful for the silence, wishing nothing less than to forget about what he had done.

In the morning, Harry had to shake Ron vigorously to wake him, and when he finally achieved his goal, all he received in reward was a pillow painfully colliding with the side of his head.

"Leave me alone," Ron said, his voice muffled, "I'm not going to class today." He turned in his bed, his back to Harry.

"Ron, you have to if you want Hermione to even consider taking you back!" Harry hissed, exasperated, "And you'll have to work at it, mind you. She won't settle for more of this, and you know it."

"What if I don't want her back? What if I did what I did for a reason?"

"I _know_ you want her back," Harry said simply, smirking, "Yesterday you could barely give me a reason for breaking up. You were just overreacting about something, and you know it." Harry then proceeded to pull the covers off his friend, levitating him to the floor, where he fell with a thud. As an added bonus, the floor was stone cold, being the middle of October.

"AHHHHHHH!" Ron bellowed angrily, struggling to come to his feet, "JUST WAIT TILL I GET YOU HARRY POTTER, YOU WILL BE SORRY YOU-KNOW-WHO NEVER KILLED YOU BEFORE YOU MET ME!"

Harry scowled, "Fine, Ron, suit yourself. If that's how you're going to act, maybe you don't deserve Hermione," and with that, he stalked off, leaving Ron feeling both stupid and angry at himself.

Ron climbed back onto his bed, rubbing his head. He punched the bed angrily, hating himself for ruining things with both Hermione and Harry. Why was he so bloody stupid? And all because things weren't going the way he'd pictured them. Maybe Harry was right. Maybe he didn't deserve Hermione.

His head pounded painfully. It couldn't be blamed on the collision with the floor, really, nor could it be blamed on thinking. It could only be blamed on himself for being such an idiot.

For making Hermione suffer. Merlin, how he remembered the way her face looked, so sad and vulnerable, when he told her. He'd almost taken back his words and pretended it was a joke.

He kind of wished he _had_ done that.

Breakfast, Great Hall.

As Hermione entered the Great Hall, she felt a small feeling of apprehension welling up inside her. Maybe it was too quick to face Ron. Maybe they should spend some time apart.

No, she told herself, I can't show him how this has affected me. I just can't…I don't care how much it costs me, but I'm going to act completely normal, as if nothing has happened at all.

As she neared the Gryffindor table, she saw Harry eating his breakfast, talking quietly with Dean and Seamus. Or listening to them talk, anyway. So, without allowing herself to think more, she walked decidedly towards him and sat down in front of him, effectively catching his attention.

"Good morning, Harry."

"Hey, Hermione."

"Isn't Ron coming down for breakfast?" she asked, careful to keep her tone level, "I can't imagine him turning down a good plate of food."

"I err…he is…ill. He didn't feel very well." _Should I tell her about the fight with Ron this morning?_

"Don't play with me, Harry. It's obvious he told you about last night. So he's too ashamed to come down, is he?"

"Well, he did…sort of mention something," Harry mumbled, "But I think it was all a misunderstanding. He really did seem angry at himself for what he did, you know. He hasn't been able to tell me why, exactly, he broke up with you, either. He's…confused."

"Shame, that is," Hermione said as she bit on a piece of toast, "It'll take him a while to get through that fog in his clouded mind."

"Hermione—"

At that moment, a crowd of laughing people—Slytherins, mostly—entered the Great Hall, surrounding one person in particular. It was Draco Malfoy, who was currently waving his hands around, occasionally making pleading or crying gestures.

"OH, Hermione! I Love you sooooo much why was I so stupid? Waaaaaahhhhh!" Malfoy said to the group of laughing Slytherins. "Like my re-enactment, Granger?" he said loudly, spotting Hermione and Harry, "Be careful though, Potty might get jealous."

"What's he on about?" Harry muttered to Hermione, watching as the group had another large laugh at their expense.

"Want to know what we are laughing at, Potter?" Malfoy said to Harry's confused look. "We were out just before curfew last night, when we saw this bush of mangy hair run by. We realized it mush have been Granger, 'coz soon after that, the Weasel came running past with exclamations of "Please Hermione, Don't cry!" Malfoy then proceeded to do another re-enactment, this time demonstrating that his heart was being ripped out and falling to his knees with exclamations of "Hermione!"

"Oh, Merlin…" Hermione muttered, rolling her eyes, her cheeks reddening.

"C'mon, let's get to class," Harry said, as he pulled Hermione from her seat. Without a backwards glance at Malfoy, they headed off to the Dungeons, where they had potions.

"Miss Granger! Will you please stop being such an insufferable know-it-all!" Professor Snape raged from his desk.

"Sorry, Professor. It's just that you facts are wrong-"

"Miss Granger, hold you tongue!"

"But Professor…"

"That's it! Miss Granger, you will report to my office tonight at 8:00 for detention! If I hear one more word out of you this lesson, you will have detentions with me for the rest of the week! Have I made myself clear?"

"Yes Professor." Hermione looked down at her cauldron, concentrating on her work. She didn't like the fact that she now also had a detention. It was hard to handle this along with the break up with Ron _and_ Malfoy constantly performing re-enactments from his seat. _He _didn't get detention, oh no, Snape liked to favor _his _ students, especially Malfoy. All Malfoy got was a "Quiet down, now please." At that moment, the bell for the end of the lesson sounded.

"Come and collect a phial from my desk and return it filled with your Anti-Inflammatory potion. You should be finished by now. Homework will be a twelve inch long essay on the Anti-Inflammatory potion, its uses, and the correct procedure for making. Homework is due on Thursday."

Hermione stood up and placed her perfect Anti-Inflammatory potion on Snape's desk, waited for Harry, and then left the classroom with him.

"What a git for giving you detention because he was wrong!" Harry exclaimed as soon as they were free of the classroom.

"I'm fine, I suppose I should learn not to correct my elders." Hermione was feeling thoroughly depressed and wished that she had taken the day off as well. She didn't feel much like talking. The rest of the day breezed by in a blur and soon enough it was seven o'clock and Hermione and Harry were coming back from dinner. Ron hadn't been at dinner, so Hermione assumed he had gone to the kitchens for something to eat. She had an hour before she had to go to Snape's detention, and she didn't intent to worry about Ron in this time, though. When she got to the common room, she sat in front of the fire, and began her homework.


End file.
